Visiting siem reap & Phnom Penh in March (3 nights & 1 night respectively); what are recommended mid-range, clean & comfortable hotels? Bopha Ankgor seems well favoured by trip advisor. Any independent advice gratefully received.
Thanks, Leon

We just got back from a trip to Cambodia & Thailand. We stayed at the Bopha Angkor but were disappointed by the room. Based on the reviews, I suspect we got a bad room which was in a corner of the hotel on the ground floor with the windows opening into a bunch of plants. As a result we came back every evening to a room infested with mosquitoes. If someone on this forum can recommend some rooms which are good (I suspect the ones on the second floor overlooking the pool are the good ones), try to book those rooms specifically by e-mailing the hotel.
We may not stay at the Bopha again. The restaurant there is quite nice though. If you can go more upscale, check the rates at the FCC- looks amazing.

For mid-range you just can't beat Bopha.

It surprised the heck out of us when we were there last Nov...didn't expect such a nice place for so cheap. I recommend their 'Bopha Pool Evasion' package if you're going for 3 nights--the room you get with that (request the deluxe pool side room) is tremendous (by far the best at the hotel!) and the free massage doesn't hurt either. Quite a deal!

Some of the higher-star hotels in SR are gorgeous (Hotel de la Paix, La Residence, etc...) but, personally speaking, those felt a bit over-the-top for a third-world country...Bopha maintains more of a "local" feel...and I can't recommend enough their restaurant enough--best Chicken Amok ever!

Good luck picking a place and have a safe and wonderful trip!

While the Borei Angkor is very good you might also have a look at these others
Borann L'Auberge des Temples, Day Inn Angkor & Resort and City Angkor (just outside of town)

In Phnom Penh I liked the Bougainvillier and the Foreign Correspondents Club both on the river. Juliana is also good but has a lot of tour groups if that matters.

We stayed at Auberge Mont Royal and it was perfect for us. Great location, very friendly staff and a nice pool and spa!

http://www.auberge-mont-royal.com/

I enjoyed four nights at the Prince D'Angkor in October.

Charming, clean and comfortable facilities and guest room, lovely salt water pool.

Good value for the price paid.

http://www.princedangkor.com/

In Siem Reap we stayed at the Victoria Angkor and loved it, though it is pricier than mid-range.

But while shopping, I discovered the Hanumanalaya Hotel, a small "boutique guest house" near the Sofitel.

http://www.hanumanalaya.com/

Rooms are $50-$85 a night. There is a tiny pool, but guests get pool and gym privileges at the lavish Sofitel with its swim-up bar.

Didn't see the rooms, but the jungly public areas were very exotic and charming. The antique shop is wonderful, possibly the best shopping of its kind in Siem Reap (recommended by a friend who collects Asian art).

The one downside would be the location, not as close to town as our hotel, but just a short tuk-tuk ride away.

Wow cjbryant! If $180-380 is mid range for you in Siem Reap I am impressed! ;-) I can't even imagine spending that much for a room in Siem Reap. Is it all inclusive?

I consider $40-70, tops, mid range for Siem Reap. In this range you will most likely have a pool and air con. in a very comfortable room within the center of everything.

The Prince D'Angkor is only $75net in high season for a superior room. Cheaper in off season. So I would call this mid-range. But my favourite is still the Bopha Ankgor.

Thanks to all for your help. crosscheck, the Hanuman Alaya site looks terrific, & the price seems v reasonable - anyone out there actually stayed here? Otherwise, i'm going to try bopha A, or auberge mont royal. Cheers guys

before you book anywhere in Siem Reap, look into the Shinta Mani. Not only is a lovely small hotel, but it oessentially operates as a hospitality school for youths who would otherwise no chance to learn a skill/trade. The service was extraordinary;the food sumptuous and the attitudes of the employees ( was wonderful to see in such a down trodden place.) In my mind the overall quality was 5*. (we made a donation to the school to support a young divorced mother. In return, we were offered a another night at no charge. Couldn't do that so received 2 1 hour massages instead. just take a look and then feel that you are doing some extra good in a place where so little goes so far.

Scotters, where can you find that price? Their own website shows much higher prices.

Looks like a nice place.

eurotravller,

We got a rate of $65 per nite in Feb '06 at the Prince D'Angkor booked thru our guide Ponheary.

leonf,
If you have a guide check and see if they can get you a better rate than at the hotel sites.....sometimes they can get you great rates with their local connections.

Aloha!

www.mittapheap.com has the Prince d'Angkor for $76.00/superior and $81.00/deluxe with tax/breakfast included. It's high season price.

The Prince d'Angkor website itself offers packages for under $100.00 including breakfast and airport transfers and late checkout for both low and high season superior room. Slightly more expensive than mittapheap.com, but no prepayment required.

Also Asiarooms has the superior room for $77
http://www.asiarooms.com/cambodia/siem_reap.html

That is good to know about Prince D'Ankgor. I may have to check it out on my next visit!

If you do choose the Prince D'Angkor, do not pay extra for the premium rooms. The Jr suite is the exact same room as the regular ones, at an additional 50% a night.

You do get a four poster bed, but the posts only blocked the view of the TV.

The "traditional building" is really just an older wooden wing, so noise and mosquitoes were both a problem.

The regular rooms on a high floor facing the pool have a nice balcony, are quieter, and they were the exact size as our suite.

I have been totally delinquent in getting my trip report done, but I will say that we loved our first four days at the Hotel de la Paix, as expected at $219 a night (the week betwwen Xmas and New Years).

lcuy, glad to hear your stay at the HDLP was good. We've booked 6 nights there in August on their Stay 3 Pay 2 plan, making it $166.00/night including all tax, breakfast for Teaghan each morning and on our two mornings of the free nights where bfast is not included. It's slightly less if you book this pacakge on mittapheap.com, but it's pay in advance there. Booked direct, we don't pay till checkout, which I much prefer. They were also great about e-mailing me right away asking what kind of bed Teaghan would like (rollaway or day bed made up) and advising us that the 3rd breakfast for her will be charged at 50%.

You'll love it Kim. My only complaint was that the pool didn't get much sun in December and was COLD. It should be fine in August.

I'd have the day bed made up rather than crowd in another bed. My 5'10" daughter fell asleep on the (not even made up!)one in our room one afternoon, and said she had a great nap there.

We did choose to have the day bed made up for her, thinking exactly what you said about crowding another bed into the room.